Iran Fires TV Officials, Files Lawsuits After Insults to Sunnis and Saudis Spark Outrage

Iranian authorities have dismissed two senior state television officials and launched legal action against eight other employees after a controversial broadcast insulted Sunni Muslims and Saudi Arabia, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported on Friday.

Peiman Jebeli, head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and a direct representative of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, ordered the dismissal of the director of the state television’s First Channel and his executive assistant. The move followed widespread outrage over a family-oriented religious program that aired content viewed as deeply offensive to Sunni beliefs — an unprecedented event even for an institution closely aligned with Iran’s hardline factions.

Jebeli emphasized that the main mission of national radio and television is to foster unity among Iranians, not deepen divisions. “Working to achieve Islamic unity is the duty of every Muslim, and it is the responsibility of the directors of official channels to ensure their programs reflect these principles,” he said, according to Al-Jarida.

Observers quoted by the newspaper linked the dismissals to the First Channel’s airing of a segment from the Sahar network. The program featured an interview with a cartoon character supposedly representing Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. However, the character’s features were said to resemble those of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, further inflaming tensions.

The backlash intensified as the controversial broadcast came shortly after Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman’s visit to Tehran, during a sensitive period of diplomatic warming between the two regional powers.

Following years of hostility, Saudi Arabia and Iran signed an agreement to normalize relations in March 2023, brokered by China. Diplomatic ties were officially restored in September 2023, and both sides have since worked to rebuild political and economic connections.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about internal discipline at Iran’s state media and highlighted the fragile nature of the recent Saudi-Iran rapprochement.